Bricklayer: Job Profile and Role

While some of us prefer office jobs, others may be happier with outdoor jobs that also come with travelling, teamwork, and physical challenges. One of these jobs is the job of a bricklayer – and maybe this is the job you are interested in learning and performing. Just continue reading to find out if that is the case.

In this blog, you get valuable insights into the job of a bricklayer. What does it take to become a UK bricklayer, which skills will benefit you the most? We answer these questions along with giving you information on your expected annual salaries, your possible employers, and what a typical day in the life of a bricklayer can look like. We conclude this article by giving you three tips for thriving as a UK mason.

Short Summary

• As a bricklayer, you prepare surfaces, mix mortar, and shape and trim bricks. These are some of your preparatory tasks before you start laying bricks.
• As a bricklayer, you may be refurbishing decorative brickwork which will be your job when working in heritage and restoration bricklaying. 
• As a bricklayer, you need an in-depth knowledge of building and construction and should be able to read and interpret building plans.

Job description

Without bricklayers, there would not be any buildings, houses, and cities. Do you see where we are going with that? You, as a UK bricklayer, are responsible for a building’s growth, so to speak. After reading and interpreting building plans, you set to work by preparing work surfaces, calculating and measuring mortar and bricks, and by slowly laying and building a foundation or wall. This also includes “thinking round corners” in shaping and trimming your bricks accordingly. All the while, you need to ensure a safe working environment for you, your fellow bricklayers, and everyone else working on a construction site.

Responsibilities

• Brick Laying
• Mixing Mortar
• Preparing Surfaces
• Measuring Work Areas
• Shaping/Trimming Bricks
• Repairing Building Blocks
• Measuring and Calculating
• Reading/Interpreting Plans
• Maintaining Tools/Equipment
• Refurbishing Decorative Brickwork

Different types of Bricklayers

• Heritage Bricklayer
• Refractory Bricklayer
• Decorative Bricklayer
• Residential Bricklayer
• Commercial Bricklayer

Salary

If you want to work as a bricklayer or mason in the UK, you can expect to earn between ￡24,000 and ￡38,000 per year. Typically, the lower wages refer to your starting salary in this job, whereas the higher tail end is being paid when you have work experience. Do not forget that your position is not the only factor with an influence on your salary. Your form of employment – part-time, full-time, or self-employment – can equally decide how much you earn, just as much as your employer and your location.

Working hours

Generally, you will be working rather long days and weeks with an average of 42 to 44 hours per week. Your work on a building site aside, you need to factor in travelling to and from work which will eat into your free time and can affect your work-life balance. The same goes for weekends which you may also be required to work – to be more precise, Saturdays. Make sure these working hours suit you – and your loved ones. 

Employers

Being a bricklayer means you can find employment on any construction site, be it residential, commercial, or corporate. Depending on your skills and further training, you may also find a bricklayer or stonemason job with the National Trust where you are responsible for restoring historic brickwork.

Similarly, your employer can be the Association of English Cathedrals or the equivalent for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Again, this depends on your qualifications. As one more option, you can work towards self-employment which gives you flexibility on employers, salaries, and working hours.

Qualifications

There are three different GCSE pass grades to need to enter a bricklayer college course: 3 to 1 (D to G) for a level 1, 9 to 3 (A* to D) for a level 2, and 9 to 4 (A* to C) for a T level course. The high pass grades also qualify you for entering an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship. Keep in mind that you need these grades in English and maths. 

Your hard skills further extend to the use of traditional and digital tools which you familiarise yourself with during your theoretical and practical education. These can include anything from trowels, spirit levels, and jointers (traditional) to CAD and BIM software.

Skills

Being a bricklayer means you need to be thorough and pay attention to every little detail. You need to be safety aware and conscious and should not lack the physical stamina and fitness needed for this job. Besides, you should be happy to work in all weathers. These competencies are certain to be among those required by your future employer – naturally, we advise you to check the skill section in every job post that has caught your interest. Varying employer expectations aside, we are confident that the following three skills will also benefit you.

Comfortable with Heights

Even if you are only working on an average two-storey house, you need to be comfortable with heights. The higher the wall you are building, the higher up you will be working. If you feel queasy at 10-metre heights, the job of a bricklayer is nigh on impossible. Therefore, you need to be absolutely sure that heights do not bother you.

Balance and Coordination

By balance, we mainly mean physical balance. As a bricklayer, you will work on a scaffold which is exposed to the elements. Even though this is a static construction, it can still move in strong winds. You must have the ability to balance out any movements. This also applies to roof work, for example, if you are working on a chimney. If you are not as sure-footed as you would like, you can always look into balancing exercise – and, thus, avoid working like a cat on a hot tin roof.

Problem-Solving

Being a bricklayer can mean that you quite literally hit a wall, meaning that you are faced with building issues, faulty materials, or designs that need readjustments. Problem-solving skills help you navigate these challenges and come up with a solution that everyone benefits from. Make sure that this competency is complemented by strong and clear communication as well as analytical thinking.

Career Path

Your career path in bricklaying starts with your education and progresses to your first job, either as an apprentice or trainee bricklayer. You may have special bricklaying interests which can propel you into stonemasonry or heritage bricklaying, to name but two interesting options. With the relevant work experience and training, you can then even become a construction supervisor or set up your own company.

Educational Background

Working as a bricklayer is open to any educational background. However, most employers prefer candidates who have completed a college course or an apprenticeship since they mean that you have both theoretical and practical knowledge for bricklaying.

Which educational choice suits you best is, naturally, down to you. If you want to complete a college course, you can do a T level in on-site construction which you can start at the age of 16. You also have the option of earning your Level 1 certificate in construction skills or a level 2 diploma in either bricklaying or trowel occupation.

An intermediate or advanced apprenticeship can be the other educational approach. Here, you can do a bricklaying level 2 intermediate apprenticeship or a craft bricklaying level 3 advanced apprenticeship. 

Entry Level

The position of an apprentice bricklayer or mason can be one of your entry-level positions. You hold this job while doing an apprenticeship. Generally, your employer during this time can also be your employer after you have finished your education. The same applies to the T level approach. Equally, your first job can be the job of a trainee bricklayer.

Continuous Learning

There are several different types of bricklayer jobs and basically all of them require further training. Let’s say you are interested in working heritage bricklaying. Here, you can look into an NVQ3 Heritage Brickwork Specialist Apprenticeship or courses offered by Historic England/Historic Scotland, or the Traditional Building Craft. Regardless of your further specialisation, you should acquire your CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card which proves your occupational health and safety qualification. 

Advanced Diplomas and Degrees for UK Bricklayers

If the sky is quite literally your career limit, you should look into advanced diplomas and degrees. These can include Higher National Certificates (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) which are offered by City & Guilds, for example. If you want to advance into management positions, you can choose between a foundation degree or a Bachelor’s degree in construction and construction management, respectively.

A Day in the Life of a Bricklayer

Since you have to travel to your construction site, you can factor in very early starts, usually at around 6 a.m. Your working day typically begins at sunrise or shortly after, meaning that, in the summer, you may have to get up even earlier. After you have arrived at your job, the following tasks are waiting for you.

Mortar Mixing and Bricklaying

Do not forget your ear protectors, your first job will be quite noisy since you will be mixing mortar, typically, with a mechanical mixer. Here, you need to get the perfect texture that ensures that the bricks you are laying later on will turn into a sturdy wall. These two tasks will occupy you for most of your working day.

Shaping and Trimming

Even though bricks come in standard sizes, you may still need to shape and trim some of them to make them fit. That can happen when you need to leave gaps for future windows or electrical wires and plumbing. To get the brick shape you want, you use special tools, including chisels, power tools, and hammers.

Straightness Checks

Every row of bricks you lay needs to be checked for straightness. After all, you do not want your walls to resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa. That said, you also need to ensure that the wall’s foundation is straight – later adjustments will be impossible. This task involves the use of traditional tools, such as a spirit level, a plumb line, or a laser level.

Tips for Thriving as a Bricklayer

If you want to thrive in your job, you should invest time and effort in further qualifications and training as well as in improving your competencies. But you will equally benefit from other thriving tips and options, three of which we will look at in this section:

• Professional network
• Quality Work
• Feedback

Professional Network

Building a strong professional network especially helps you when you want to start your own bricklaying company. Bricklayer contacts are vital if you want to attract clients and work. But even outside self-employment, this tip helps you to thrive. Connecting with other professionals gives you insights into the latest bricklaying techniques and trends and tips on how to improve your work.

Quality Work

Speaking of work: as a bricklayer, you should strive to offer the highest quality there is. The more thorough you are in your job, the more likely it is you will find ongoing employment. After all, quality craftsmanship is something everyone values and appreciates. This, however, is only one reason why you should strive for perfection. Quality work also ensures the highest safety in a building. And we do not need to point out to you how important that is.

Feedback

Asking for and receiving feedback may not be your favourite work pastime but it will help you thrive. Be proactive and seek out your colleagues and superiors, ask them what they think of your work performance and especially ask where you can improve. We know that you may not want to hear where you are going wrong. But knowing your mistakes is pretty much the only way to stop making them – and, thus, to become better and better at your job as a bricklayer.

Frequently Asked Questions